Poorly Trained Phone Agents Can Cost You Time and Money
Airline phone agents are the bane of my existence. As part of my award booking services, I call the airlines every day, so I've had the unique opportunity of speaking to hundreds of phone reps. While a few are truly gems who are fast and know the rules, many are clueless and their mistakes can cost you time and money.
Case in point: I have a trip coming up this summer that I booked with Delta miles, but it includes segments on Air France. As a Diamond Medallion, I can make unlimited changes to the trip for free as long as there is award space. When changing carriers or getting rid of segments, the amount of taxes can change, which I totally accept. However, I called to switch to an Air France flight earlier in the day in the same class of service and the clueless rep told me I owed $20 more in taxes. This was bizarre because I had done the same thing a day earlier and it was an even exchange - nothing due.
When I pressed him on it, he was adamant that I owed the fee and they "must have raised the fuel surcharges overnight- they generally do that on Tuesdays." I knew this was wrong, but I didn't want to lose the seat since there was only 1 left. However, my gut told me to resort to the tried and true method of calling back and getting a smarter rep.
I thanked him for his expert help, but told him I was going to pass. I called right back and got a chipper rep who made the change in 30 seconds at an even exchange - nothing due. I saved myself $20 just for having a gut feeling that the rep was wrong. How many people would have paid the $20 not knowing any better?
The moral of the story is that we are at the mercy of chronically under-trained and misinformed phone representatives and you need to know when to give in or when to call their bluff (and hang up and call again). My advice is to do the latter when your gut tells you the rep doesn't know what they are talking about!
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| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month